The Sermon on the Mount and Politics

On By Tyler BoydIn Christian's Relationship to Government, Kingdom Life, Love for Enemies1 Comment

We cannot serve Jesus while at the same time seeking political solutions, which of necessity rely on principles which contradict those of Jesus’s kingdom. In “The Sermon on the Mount” (Mt. 5-7), Jesus taught that the principles of the kingdom of heaven are visibly and obviously different from the principles of earthly kingdoms. He called the citizens of His kingdom to be the “salt of the earth” and to be a “light to the world” (Mt. 5.13-14).

It is essential that Christians live differently from the world. If we lose our distinction, we will fail to influence the world as the salt and light that God has called us to be. 

If the salt becomes tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under food by men. – Matthew 5.13

Therefore we shouldn’t be surprised if Jesus’ teachings sound somewhat strange, offensive, contradictory to common wisdom, or even foolish. The fact that His teachings are different from everyday thinking is precisely the point Jesus is trying to make.

The Sermon on the Mount and Violence

There is no government on earth that practices, or could practice the principles taught by Jesus. As we read the Sermon on the Mount, we come across some of Jesus’s teaching on violence and the Christian’s attitude toward it.

You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other to him also… You have heard that it was said “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you… For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? – Matthew 5.39-47

As we should expect, these are some very strange teachings. Christianity is different. Other kingdoms on earth tolerate, and sometimes encourage retaliation. And here in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus brings up retaliation for the specific purpose of prohibiting it.

Here He sets forth a clear and broad difference between the spirit of retaliation and the spirit of Christianity. Living according to this difference is not just a minor side point in Jesus’s sermon that can be ignored; it is at the very heart of the theme of His sermon.

And what’s more, Jesus doesn’t simply address the outward action of retaliation. He speaks to the very heart of the matter. The section on retaliation is part of a larger section in which Jesus addressed common everyday understandings of the law (“You have heard that it was said…”), and then immediately gives a teaching that applies directly to the heart (“But I say unto you…”). For instance, when Jesus addressed adultery (Mt. 5.27-30), He condemned not only adultery, but also lust. The principles Jesus taught do not simply refer to the outward act, but also forbid the passion itself. His teachings attach guilt no only to the conduct, but also to the thought.

In another teaching, Jesus forbade not only murder, but also hateful feelings such as resentment or revenge which lead to murder (Mt. 5.21-22). When these unholy motives and intentions are prohibited, the very spirit of violent force towards our enemies is destroyed. Violent force towards our enemies cannot be encouraged or allowed if that which is necessary for that violent force is prohibited. Jesus’ disciples are taught in this sermon that all such attitudes that promote violence towards  enemies are prohibited in His kingdom.

According to everyday wisdom at that time, violence towards enemies was permitted. Jesus directly contradicts this mindset when He says “Love your enemies”. Loving our enemies is contrary to desiring harm upon them. By desiring to use force against our enemies we are violating one of the fundamental principles of Jesus’s teaching.

The tax collectors and gentiles demonstrated a similar set of ethics as the Jews. They preached the importance of love, but they limited their love to those who were deserving of it. If a person was wicked enough, they were seen as no longer deserving of their love. If a Christian decides that certain enemies are just too wicked to be loved, they have become no different from the rest of the world; they have lost their flavor as salt.

The Sermon on the Mount and the Civil State

Christians cannot serve the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of men. The principles taught by Jesus are contrary to the principles that are, and of necessity must be, practiced in every human government on earth. No nation on earth would survive very long if it refused to resist its enemies. First, there would be no military forces to maintain a country’s strength. Subsequently, the nation would not be able to enforce its laws upon its citizens. The implied force that lies behind all political solutions and legislation would be destroyed. (If you don’t believe all political solutions are a demonstration of force, just refuse to obey a law and see what happens).

The mindset that is necessary for the maintenance of a strong country is opposed to the mindset that is taught by Jesus. The two mindsets cannot dwell at the same time inside the same person. You cannot be gentle, forgiving, responding to evil with good, turning the other cheek, praying for your persecutors, and at the same time execute wrath and vengeance upon evil doers as God has ordained governing authorities to do (Romans 13.1-7).

Jesus understood this to be the case. He understood that the principles of Sermon on the Mount could not be kept among those who try to serve two masters.

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. – Matthew 6.24

Satan is the god of this world. To serve wealth is to serve Satan. Wealth is served in the kingdoms of this world. Jesus teaches that we cannot serve both.

 “Jesus Didn’t Really Mean That”

Many will be quick to point out that Jesus never intended for his sermon to be applied to governments. In this observation, they are correct. After all, Jesus didn’t go to Rome to preach this lesson to Caesar and his guards, and He didn’t preach the sermon to the U.S. Government.

He preached the sermon to those who were to be a part of His kingdom, and He expected His teachings to apply to every aspect of their lives. Therefore it wouldn’t make any sense to suggest that the Sermon on the Mount is fine to apply to individual Christians, unless those Christians decided to become involved in political action, in which case they would be exempted from these expectations.

Consider these words from Martin Luther, the great Reformer (who in many regards should be praised as a hero). From his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Martin Luther wrote:

Thus we read of many holy martyrs, who under infidel emperors and lords have gone forth to war, when summoned, and in all good conscience have struck right and left and killed, just as others, so that in this respect there was no difference between Christians and heathen; and yet they did nothing contrary to this text. For they did it not as Christians, for their own person, but as obedient members and subjects, under obligation to secular person and authority. But if you are free and not obligated to such secular authority, then you have here a different rule, as a different person.

Wait, what? Christians are no “different than heathens”? For “they did it not as Christians… but as obedient members and subjects, under obligation to secular person and authority”?

Is Jesus not to be the Lord over every part of our lives? Would this logic make sense if applied to other activities in life? For example, consider if this quote were applied to lifeguarding.

Some Christians, while working as lifeguards have looked at immodestly dressed women and lusted after them, and in this respect there was no difference between Christians and heathen; yet they did nothing contrary to this text. For they did it not as Christians, but as lifeguards who were faithfully doing their jobs under obligation to their secular bosses.

Or apply this logic to a lawyer…

Some Christians, while working as lawyers, have told lies, and in this respect there was no difference between Christians and heathen; yet they did nothing contrary to this text. For they did it not as Christians, but as lawyers who were faithfully doing their jobs under obligation to their secular clients.

We wouldn’t use this logic towards other walks of life. Why would we apply it to Jesus’ teachings about retaliation and loving our enemies? Jesus never adds any qualifiers to these statements. He did not intend for them to apply to certain parts of our lives and not to other parts.

A Christian might be a lifeguard, but a Christian lifeguard should never lust. A Christian might be a lawyer, but a Christian lawyer should never lie. A Christian might live as a citizen under secular authorities, but a Christian citizen should never retaliate, resist evil with evil, or hate his enemies.

The Sermon on the Mount was not addressed to human governments, but it does apply to every Christian in every aspect of their lives. To seek political solutions to lose our distinctiveness; that is, to cease to be salt and light.

Words of Comfort and Warning

 Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. – Matthew 7.24

Jesus concludes by teaching that those who live according to the principles of God’s kingdom will stand forever. Those who do not will be overcome in destruction. The kingdom which was established by God will never fall. The kingdoms which are in the world will be destroyed along with those who live according to their way of life.

The kingdom Jesus established does not need the right political party, strong political victories, strong law enforcement, constitutionally protected rights, strong military strength, or a strong economy to prosper. If Jesus can overcome the cross, Christians can rest assured that the gates of hell (much less a bad earthly government), will not prevail against His church.

Jesus’ Shocking Teachings: Adultery

On By Lance MosherIn Kingdom Life3 Comments

As I mentioned in my previous article, Jesus sets forth a challenge in the Sermon on the Mount: be different. Jesus even sets a challenge for Himself. He told His audience that day that He came to earth to fulfill the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 5:17-18).

There is part of that challenge that is strictly Messianic, meaning, only Jesus was able to fulfill the Law by living it perfectly. Only Jesus was able to fulfill the prophecies about the Prophet who was to come into the world.

Yet, there is the other part that we ourselves can participate in.

In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12.

Are you ready to take up this challenge? Can you be a part of Jesus’ mission to create fulfillers?

Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:19-20.

Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48.

Between these two high callings, Jesus gives some shocking teachings that require courage and dedication to the cause of Christ. To move forward in our study, we need to make the commitment of a true disciple.

You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery”; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell. Matthew 5:27-30.

Marriage, as God defines it, is a sacred bond. It is the first inter-personal relationship He ever created. Woman was made for man, and man is incomplete without woman.

Jesus says a lot about marriage. The one phrase that is and should be repeated at every Christian wedding is what He said in Matthew 19:6: “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”

What happens, however, when a third person is introduced into the one-flesh bond? The first time the word adultery is found in the Bible is within the cited commandment: “You shall not commit adultery!” (Ex. 20:14). The punishment? Death for both parties involved.

To say that God takes marriage seriously is true, but that may be an understatement. God understands the wrenching heartbreak people feel when relationships are destroyed by adultery. If this is news to you, read through the book of Hosea, and read God’s reasonings for punishing the nation of Israel in the book of Jeremiah (31:31-32).

The people listening to Jesus on this occasion would have heard this commandment, “You shall not commit adultery,” well enough. But did they understand it? Perhaps, like murder, the religious teachers spent inadequate time on the feelings and intentions that usually lead to sin. Sure enough, the commitment of adultery is wrong. What about the heart?

…but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:28.

Let us define our terms. There are some Greek words that are flexible, and context helps us understand the correct translation into English. There is no ambiguity with the word translated “adultery” in this passage. Every time “moicheuō” appears in the New Testament, it is translated as the act of (commitment of) adultery, which can be defined as: “voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not his or her spouse” (Oxford).

The word lust is a bit more flexible than adultery. It has been translated as covetousness (Acts 20:33), craving (1 Cor. 10:6), desire (Matt. 13:17), longing (Luke 16:21), and lust. Sometimes, it’s even used for spiritually healthy feelings (e.g. 1 Tim. 3:1). In the context of Matthew 5, however, lust would be a sensational craving that produces unwholesome and sinful thoughts. It has to do with sensational cravings of someone’s physical being who is not your spouse.

Let it be said that attraction is not the same as lust. Attraction, the recognition that someone has desirable qualities, is as universal as its opposite, disgust, the recognition of undesirable qualities. A woman may see a man and say, “He’s handsome.” She may then notice some other things about him and say, “I also like how kind he is, and how good he is with children.” In other words, she’s saying, “I’m attracted to him.”

The question is, where does it go from there? She could pursue these feelings in a very godly way, so long as he is eligible for her. Or, if she employs no self-control, then it could become sinful, or lustful, very quickly.

Without attraction, God’s first commandment to the first married couple would be difficult to fulfill. He told them, “Be fruitful and multiply” (Gen. 1:28). Attraction aids in the fruitfulness of the earth. With lust, however, God’s creation is distorted, and a man or a woman is stripped of the image of God and turned into a spirit-less, physical body.

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:15-17.

John says the things in the world fall into these three categories. Two of them are related to this subject: the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes.

The child of God who, every day by discipline of the heart, submits more to God according to His word bears the Holy Spirit’s fruit, which includes self-control (Gal. 5:16-25).

When we become Christians, we are publicly professing our belief in the spiritual. We recognize that there is more to our body; therefore, there is more to everyone else’s, too! When we lust, we are are looking at the person according to the flesh and denying the faith that teaches of the spiritual.

Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad…
Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:9-10, 16-17

A Christian is committed to no longer recognizing anyone according to the flesh. If you struggle with this, wake up daily with the words of Job on your lips: “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman [or man]” (Job 31:1, NIV).

The question is still here: are we willing to take drastic measures?

If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell. Matthew 5: 29-30.

Sometimes we want to go quickly to the question, “Does Jesus mean for me to obey this commandment literally?” First, no, He doesn’t. If He did, we would have seen examples of self-mutilation carried out by the inspired apostles, the prophets, and the first-century church in Scripture, but we do not. Obeying this literally renders the world half-blind and half-paralyzed. Plus, what good is it to pluck out one eye, when one more would remain?

When we jump to this question right away, at best, we are distracted from the commandment. At worst, we begin to justify a lack of action when stumbling blocks are present. After all, we are not to take it literally.

So, what did Jesus mean? Do whatever it takes to remove stumbling blocks from your life. Therefore, if you find out that “whatever it takes” actually requires the loss of a body part, then follow through, “For it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.”

Truthfully, though, “whatever it takes” is sometimes more painful and difficult than it would be to tear out your eye with a dull, wooden spoon. Do you struggle with sorcery? If so, do what the new Ephesian Christians did in Acts 19–burn your books that equal to five million dollars in today’s money. Sounds extreme, doesn’t it? Do you struggle with pornography? Cut off all access to the internet. Sounds extreme, doesn’t it?

Maybe we need to first take a step back and ask a simpler question. Do you struggle with lust? Even simpler is, do you struggle? I’m afraid that many of us, when we see a spiritual weakness, we begin saying, “I struggle with such-and-such.” Yet, struggling requires much more than just admitting you have a problem.

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
Nor faint when you are reproved by Him;
For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines,
And He scourges every son whom He receives.” Hebrews 12:1-6.

Do you recognize a problem in your life? Take it to the next step, to the point of struggling, or striving against sin. Can you honestly say that you are actively fighting against the temptation of lust?

Conclusion

Do you want to participate in Jesus’ fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets? If so, treat others the way you want to be treated. How do you want people to see you, as merely an animated body (or as slang puts it, a “piece of meat”)? Or do you want people to see you as someone who bears the image of God, and for that reason, you have inherent value?

Regard people with spiritual eyes. Do not reduce a person to the flesh. Remove anything in your life that hinders your growth in Christ and causes you to stumble in your walk.

And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:34-38.

Our righteousness must surpass that of the most apparent religious people around us. We are to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. It’s easy enough to say, “That’s impossible!” But with Christ by our side and the Holy Spirit inside, it’s even easier to say, “That’s possible.”

The things that are impossible with people are possible with God. Luke 18:27.

Recognizing the Real Enemy in Charlottesville

On By Tyler BoydIn Uncategorized1 Comment

The political violence and hate demonstrated in Charlottesville over the weekend was as predictable as it was tragic. One person was killed, and dozens others were injured, and hateful rhetoric continues to be spewed back and forth between the different sides. In a society where politics is seen as the answer to almost every problem, battle lines are frequently drawn, goodwill is quickly eroded, and the very worst in people is often brought to the surface.

When such battle lines are drawn it is dangerously easy to over simplify matters of good and evil. It is dangerously easy to condemn Antifa with its violent left wing rhetoric. It is dangerously easy to vilify the alt-Right, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and fascists. Everyone is expected to pick a side. It is dangerously easy to turn certain politicians into the devil, or to turn the media into a slew of demons. It is dangerously easy to typify “those like us” as basically good and “people like them” as basically evil. We tend to turn ourselves into angels and our opponents into Satanic forces of evil. It is easy to think this way and far more convenient than having to step back from the rhetoric we continually see on social media and think clearly about right and wrong.

The Real Enemy

Jesus was born into a society where thoughts of revolution and war were brewing. Political violence was becoming more and more common. Israel thought of themselves as the “good guys.” After all, they were “God’s chosen nation.” The Romans were the bad guys. People longed for a “Messiah” who would raise an army and throw off the yoke of gentile oppression once and for all and thus usher in the promised “last days” and “age to come.” Every few years a self proclaimed “Messiah” would come along, gain some support, and try to do just that – usually resulting in crucifixion and bloodshed at the hand of the Romans.

Then comes Jesus. Jesus was also ready to fight a battle, but it wasn’t the battle people were expecting Him to fight. It wasn’t even the same kind of battle. In fact, based on the Sermon on the Mount we see that fighting itself, in the normal physical sense, was precisely what Jesus was not going to do. Jesus was fighting against a different kind of enemy all together.

Jesus saw Himself as fighting a battle against Satan and his evil spiritual forces.

And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan. – Mark 1.13

What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him. – Mark 1.27

He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who he was. – Mark 1.34

Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, they would fall down before Him and shout, “You are the Son of God!” And He earnestly warned them not to tell who He was. – Mark 3.11-12

The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul”… “And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand… But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his property unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.” – Mark 3.22-27

Immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him…He had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he said to Him, “My name is Legion; for we are many.”…

And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea. – Mark 5.1-20

And He said to them, “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. – Luke 10.18

And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years, should she not have been released from this bond on the Sabbath day? – Luke 13.16

Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat. – Luke 22.31

The devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him… After the morsel, Satan then entered into him. – John 3.2, 27

For all the things I don’t understand about Satan, unclean spirits, and demons, one thing is certain: Jesus recognized the reality of dark spiritual forces at work in the world.

If we will take a moment and recognize the existence of Satan and his spiritual forces, and if we consider that Satan is capable of influencing “us” as well as “them”, then our focus should shift. In all four gospels, Jesus only directly addresses Satan by that name two times. The first time was during the wilderness temptations (Mt. 4.10). The other was when he was rebuking one of his closest friends for resisting God’s plan (Mk. 8.33).

When we see conflict between two parties, it is not a simple as just picking a side. If we will learn to view the world in light of this spiritual reality, the battle lines shift. It is no longer a battle between “us” and “them”. The battle is between God and Satan.

With this new reality in view, enemies can be seen as within reach of God’s blessings. And our allies, those whom we have always thought of as fighting on the “right” side, suddenly need to be examined a little closer.

The Real Battle

Jesus recognized that He came to fight a war. It wasn’t a war of independence from the Romans. It wasn’t a revolution against King Herod. He didn’t join a fight for national freedom. He didn’t go to war against oppressive and hateful political powers. He didn’t seek to overthrow corrupt local leaders.

The real battle was far deeper, far more significant, and far more important. Jesus was in battle against Satan himself. And though Satan certainly used the Romans and influenced the Jewish leaders, Jesus continually remembered that Satan was not one to be identified with any of these.

It was necessary for Him to keep his mind set on this truth, for had Jesus turned and identified the Romans or the Jews as his enemy, and opposed them rather than opposing Satan, He most certainly would have lost the real battle.

The Real Victory

If Jesus saw Satan as the real enemy, how did He suppose the battle would be won? Early in His ministry in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus had pointed forwards to how this battle was to be won. The enemy would be defeated, not by a political victory over his opponents, but rather by turning the other cheek, going the extra mile, and demonstrating love towards his enemies (Mt. 5.38-48). This is how the Kingdom of Heaven would be established and the victory would be won.

Of course the end result of such so-called “foolishness” is predictable. Everybody knows what happens to people who don’t fight back: the bad guys win and the good guys lose. The fact that Jesus ended up being crucified should strike us as no surprise.

And yet, it was in this “loss” to his so called “enemies” that the real victory over the real enemy was secured.

By refusing to resist evil, Jesus refused Satan. By resisting the opportunity to revile his enemies in return, Jesus resisted Satan. By withstanding any desire to threaten his enemies, Jesus withstood Satan. When Jesus overcame the cross, He overcame Satan. By his willingness to “lose”, the real victory was won. “By His wounds, you were healed.” (2 Peter 2.22-23).

What this means for Charlottesville

What does all of this mean for Charlottesville, and all the other political conflicts we see in the world? It means that it is time for us as Christians to fight. Or as Peter put it: “arm yourselves!”

Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with this same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. – 1 Peter 4.1-2

Or consider the way Paul summed up this warfare:

Stand firm against the schemes of the devil, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Put on the full armor of God! – Ephesians 6.11-13

We are at war. But it is eternally important that we recognize who the real enemy is. We are in a battle against Satan. To defeat Satan we must arm ourselves, but not with just any weapon of our choosing. The weapon we must take with us is the mindset of Christ. The armor we must put on is the armor of God.

If we go to war against the wrong enemy, we will of necessity have to take up the wrong weapons. If matters are oversimplified, the only path to victory over hate, is with hate; the only victory over violence, is with violence; the only victory over political power is to seize political power. If we seek to win the battle against the wrong enemy we will lose the war against Satan.

To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in Spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for this very purpose – 1 Peter 3.8-9

Jesus’ Shocking Teachings: Murder

On By Lance MosherIn Kingdom Life2 Comments

Christianity is meant to be different. It is to be different from other religions and different from the way this world thinks. The Old Testament prophets continually spoke of a different and better kingdom that was coming. The first word preached by both Jesus and John the Baptist was, “Repent!” which is a commandment to change… or be different than the way you were before. In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5, 6, and 7), Jesus calls His disciples to, not surprisingly, be different.

Primarily, Jesus teaches us to:

  1. Be different than the standard of the world.
  2. Be different than the standard of religious teachers.

Consider how beautiful the world would be if everyone followed the teachings in this sermon. Jesus gives such a standard that he is able to say, “unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20). He concludes this section of His sermon with, “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). Such high callings!

Context

Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:17-20

Jesus fulfilled the Law and the prophets (see Luke 24:44). The last words He uttered on the cross were, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Entire books of the New Testament were written to teach Christians that Jesus and His New Covenant are better than the Old Law and have made the Law of Moses obsolete (i.e. Galatians and Hebrews). Jesus didn’t destroy the Law; He fulfilled it.

What Jesus was saying was, “Your religious teachers have twisted and abused the Law and the prophets. Let me explain to you perfectly what the Scriptures mean.” Jesus then begins six contrasts of what the religious teachers of the time were saying, versus what God is saying. In this article, we will study the first one, where Jesus presents His divine take on murder (Matt. 5:21-26).

You have heard…

You have heard that the ancients were told, “You shall not commit murder” and “Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.” Matthew 5:21.

“You shall not murder.” These people would have heard this from the Ten Commandments. Is Jesus about to annul one of the Ten Commandments? By no means!

It seems that the teachers of the time were saying that simply the commitment of murder was wrong. Perhaps the teachers had forgotten that the Law defined murder as an act that resulted from hatred, or at least, the intention of murder in the heart (Num. 35:20-21).

You shall not go about as a slanderer among your people, and you are not to act against the life of your neighbor; I am the LORD.
You shall not hate your fellow countryman in your heart; you may surely reprove your neighbor, but shall not incur sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:16-18.

But I say…

But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, “You good-for-nothing,” shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, “You fool,” shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. Matthew 5:22.

Being guilty of the court, in Jesus’ eyes, requires only one thing: anger. Deuteronomy 16 and 17 put forth Israel’s court system, which Jesus refers to here. Murder is easy to see and convict, but how is anger to be judged in the court system? There are, of course, different types of anger.

Some translations have, “whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger…” (see KJV and NKJV). There is what people have called “righteous indignation.”

God is a righteous judge, and a God who has indignation every day. Psalm 7:11.

Just as God is one who hates sin, when one of His children exemplifies the heart of Christ, he or she will also hate sin.

And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. Jude 22-23.

When Jesus saw the money changers at the temple, He responded in anger. Yet in all of His “righteous indignation,” Jesus never sinned (Heb. 4:15). We have the same calling–the one to be angry, yet without sin.

Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity. Ephesians 4:26-27.

To call someone raca (KJV), or, you good-for-nothing (NASB), insults the Creator, who saw in His good will to create everyone for something. When we let anger take its natural course, it boils inside of us. Where there is the presence of anger and a lack of self-control, there is the presence of insult and lack of love. According to Christ, putting down someone’s life, skill, and cognitive ability condemns one to the fiery hell.

Therefore…

Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.  Matthew 5:23-24.

So, what’s the application of all of this? Verse 23 begins with, “Therefore.” Based on what Jesus says in verses 21 and 22, be reconciled to your brother.

The Law of Moses taught the Israelites to “not appear before the Lord empty-handed” (Deut. 16:16). Sacrifice was the way to worship, forgiveness, and reconciliation. However, it didn’t work by itself. Along with the sacrifice, three other things were to be present–intention, purity of heart, and repentance.

The longer one lives in Christ, the longer he or she develops a deep love for the work of God among men, which is boiled down to reconciliation. There should be no wonder, then, why Christ requires reconciliation to be exercised within our relationships with all others who also worship God.

Of course, there is no physical altar in the Law of Christ. Christ is our sacrifice. However, we still approach the same God in worship, and we must not appear before the Lord stained-hearted, or in other words, while ignoring broken relationships within the body of Christ.

Scenario: You come before God, and like the tax collector in the temple, you realize your sins are laid bare before a holy God. You then remember of how you have offended a brother or sister in the previous week. What are you to do?

  1. Leave your sacrifice.
  2. Go.
  3. Be reconciled.

Is that the trend today? Unfortunately, we live in a day where victimization is exalted, where parents treat their children like the world revolves around them, where culture teaches that you’re entitled to your heart’s desires. If we’re not careful, and if we’re not intentional, this world will shape us, and the gospel will not. When there is offence, the world says, “Leave the relationship.” The Master says, “Leave your sacrifice.”

In case you’re justifying yourself by saying, “So-and-so is not offended at me; I’m offended at him; therefore, I’ll share this article in hopes he will read it and come to me for reconciliation!” don’t be so hasty. First, there are other Scriptures that command even those who are “innocent” to initiate the reconciliation (e.g. Matt. 18:15-17; Rom. 12:18). But even within the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus leaves no room for self-justification. If you can come to worship with a clean conscience because of your pride (“Sure, my relationship with someone in the faith is on rocky ground, but it’s his fault; he’s the offender”), then you’ve proven otherwise by your attitude. The commandment is for you:

  1. Leave your sacrifice.
  2. Go.
  3. Be reconciled.

Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent. Matthew 5:25-26.

Imagine a situation where you ignore one whom you have offended. Will the situation get better by itself? In most cases, it will get worse. The longer you ignore the problem, the more awkward it gets. Perhaps while you ignore the problem, the person you have offended is busy taking things to the next level, even to the point of drafting court papers. Being proactive in fixing relationships has its spiritual benefits–it allows you to worship spiritually without hindrance. It obviously has earthly benefits, too. Settling matters before third parties get involved can prevent complicated, awkward, expensive, and undesirable results.

Conclusion

If our righteousness is to surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, we must follow Jesus’ teachings against murder. Doing so includes making friends with our enemies quickly. In a culture that loves to be offended and victimized, we are to take the heroic initiative by fixing relational problems before a third party is needed.

If we are to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect, we must:

  • Treat our brothers and sisters kindly.
  • Recognize a person’s inherent value. God created him or her to be good for something!
  • Be willing to see a friend’s point of view. Sometimes all it takes is a change of perspective to see that we are the ones who are actually foolish.
  • Be reconciled to our estranged members of the household of faith so that our worship to God may be unhindered.

Do you want to be the true worshiper who worships God in spirit? How can you when you harbor hate inside your heart? Deal with your relationships Jesus’ way, and you’ll be that much closer to God’s perfection.

The “God” of the World

On By Tyler BoydIn Christian's Relationship to Government, The Authority of God6 Comments

Satan is the ruler of this world. He is an unlawful ruler, with limited and temporary power, yet his power is real. His influence over the nations of the world is evident both historically and Biblically speaking. He uses his power to turn people away from God’s rule as he tempts them to define right and wrong for themselves.

At the same time, the Bible teaches that God ordains the governing authorities of this world as His ministers. Yet due to misunderstandings of passages such as Romans 13, some have concluded that the governments of this world exist to serve God in a willful and submissive manner. As a result, many Christians remain ignorant of Satan’s rule and influence over these worldly governments. Those who are ignorant of his authority are the most susceptible to his influence. Therefore it is important to understand how Satan rules as the god of this world, recognize his purposes for the world and the limited and temporary nature of his rule. God does overrule the wickedness of the nations to accomplish His purposes, but this does not mean that God is pleased with their rebellious existence or their wickedness.

Satan’s Purposes for the World

God the Creator is the rightful and sovereign ruler of the world. Satan’s temptation of Eve in the garden strikes right at the heart of God’s sovereign authority, and in so doing demonstrates Satan’s purposes for the world.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?’… For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” – Genesis 3.1, 5

Satan suggested to Eve that she could be free from God’s dominion. He suggested to her that she was fully capable to decide right and wrong for herself, and therefore should reject God’s authority over her. He wanted her to believe that she would be better off exercising self-rule by disobeying her Creator. In essence, Satan wanted Eve to believe that she could be her own god, ruling her own life in her own way.

The first 11 chapters of Genesis show how this violent rejection of God’s rule continued to spread through the world. The climax of this rebellion is seen in the tower of Babel, through which all the gentile nations were spread across the earth. All the nations covering the globe, all dominated by governments made of men exercising their own authority have their origin in this initial rejection of God by Adam and Eve.

From that day until now, people continue to trust in their own authority. People continue to write their own religious creeds, and establish their own churches, founded upon their own authority. People continue to write their own laws, and establish their own moral standards. People continue to rebel against God and act as if they are their own authority. The world is dominated by people who think they have the right to act as the “god” over other people.

This shouldn’t surprise us in the unbelieving world, where people claim no intention to follow God. But among Christians, who claim citizenship in the kingdom of heaven and proclaim Jesus as their King, there ought never to be those who turn aside from the authority of Christ and turn to self-proclaimed authority.

Whenever people assert their own authority to enforce their own standards of right and wrong, this does not make them free. Regardless of whether or not people serve God, they still serve a master.

Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. – Romans 6.16-18

Whenever people change their loyalty away from the LORD, they are giving their loyalty to Satan. In so doing, they are establishing Satan as their god. This was Satan’s purpose from the beginning.

The “god” of this World

Biblically speaking, Satan is indeed the god of this world.

I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. – John 14.40

But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. – John 16.7-11

Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in draftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. – 2 Corinthians 4.1-4

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. – Ephesians 2.1-2

The nations, the rulers, and all those who claim the right to rule mankind for themselves serve Satan as their god. Yes, God has established His kingdom on earth, but those whose citizenship is in the world are under a different dominion.

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. – Colossians 1.13

Jesus – Reclaiming Rightful Authority

Jesus came to proclaim that the kingdom (dominion or reign) of God was at hand.

From that time Jesus became to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” – Matthew 4.17

Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” – Mark 1.15

Through all of Jesus’s actions, preaching and parables, His characteristic message continued to be that of the establishment of the reign of God. Jesus came to establish the Kingdom – the rightful rule of God – by establishing mankind’s submission to Him, and in so doing, He came to rescue the world from the dominion of Satan. Jesus came to destroy human self-rule by calling man back from sin to submission to the rule of God. To say that “the kingdom of God is at hand” only makes sense when his hearers understood that the world was not currently in submission to God.

Shortly after God declared Jesus as His son in a very special and unique way, Satan attacked Jesus right at the heart of His mission (Mt. 4.1-11; Lk. 4.1-13). God wouldn’t want His Son to be famished with hunger would He? Wouldn’t it be more satisfying to do things Satan’s way? If Jesus is God’s son, why not show it in one dramatic show of power, by casting Himself off the temple? Wouldn’t it be quicker and more effective to do things Satan’s way?

Arguably the most tempting of all was the the one regarding the domain and glory of the kingdoms of the world.

And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” – Luke 4.5-7

Satan claimed that the governments of the world had been handed over to him. Clearly this is what occurred when mankind rejected God’s rule. Commentators sometimes debate whether or not Satan actually had the ability to deliver on his promise or not, but such a debate misses the point. The point is that Satan tempted Jesus by offering him political power and prestige as an alternative method to doing things God’s way. For this offer to have been a temptation, Jesus must have believed that the alternative offered by Satan was a very real and attractive looking option. If Jesus had given in and sought political power, Jesus would have failed in His mission, and Satan would have had unlimited dominion over the world. Can you imagine what such a world would look like?

Satan’s (Temporary) Success

Satan’s efforts to turn man away from the LORD have been partially successful. Our God created a beautiful garden for us to dwell in, but all the thorns and thistles, the wickedness and corruption,  and the grief and sorrow in the world testify that Satan is indeed its ruler. Jesus recognized that the kingdoms of this world, and all their pomp and glory, as promising and rewarding as they may appear, belong to the devil.

It is important that we do not fail to recognize or ignore this fact. Satan continues to offer more satisfying, more promising, and more pragmatic alternatives to doing things God’s way. Satan wants us to believe that simply doing things God’s way “isn’t practical in the real world.” He wants us to think that it would be “naïve” to strive after God’s ideals for peace. He wants us to be so enamored by the power of their swords that we forget about sword of the Spirit. If we are to spread the kingdom of God, we must be ready to submit to His Kingship, rejecting all of Satan’s alternative solutions.

Yet as successful as Satan has been in this world, we know that his power is limited and temporary. God has spoken, and the kingdom of Heaven will ultimately be victorious.

For it is written,
“As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to Me,
And every tongue shall give praise to God” – Romans 14.11

The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever. – Revelation 11.15

Rejecting God and Embracing Corruption

On By Tyler BoydIn Christian's Relationship to Government, The Authority of God

Corruption in Today’s World

When the world was created, God said that it was good. God created humans to be a central part of this good world. Humans were created to know God, to love God, to worship God, to give thanks to God, and to have dominion over the rest of creation for God.  This is, and always has been, the way God expected humans to live and prosper.

But man was not created to be a god. The right to rule over mankind was reserved for God alone. This means that mankind must remain humble. We must let God be God.

In Romans 1-2, Paul begins his letter by observing that the good world has become corrupted, and the root of the problem of corruption lies with the rebellion of humans. As a result of this corruption, humans are now “worthy of death” (Rom. 1.32), and are subject to the “wrath of God” (Rom. 2.5). Paul points gets to the very root of the problem in Romans 1.18-23.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools.

The Heart of Corruption

As Paul discusses the corruption of mankind, he does not, as we might expect, point to evil behavior as the root of the problem. He discusses the problem of evil behavior soon enough (Rom. 1.24-31), but the root of the problem lies much deeper. Paul begins by pointing to twisted thinking and darkened hearts as the core of corruption.

For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. – Romans 1.21

Paul speaks of those who had become “futile in their speculations.” There are right ways and wrong ways to think. This is an important truth our world doesn’t like to admit. Thought, by itself, does not guarantee we will arrive at the right answers. In a room full of different magnets, a compass will not necessarily always point north. Using thoughts and reasons to speculate about what is right and wrong does not necessarily mean that our conclusions will be right.

In the ancient world, the heart was the center of thought, motivations, and emotions. Thus when Paul speaks of darkened hearts, this idea would have been very closely connected with futile speculations. Paul understood that just as thinking can become twisted, so also hearts can become darkened.

The Deceptiveness of Corruption

People can easily deceive themselves. People can easily think of themselves as wise, while being very foolish.

Professing to be wise, they became fools. – Romans 1.22

In the world of social media, we are given constant reminders that not everyone agrees about the wisest course of actions. For some it is viewed as great wisdom to have a strong military, and to have that military stationed around the world, striking back against evil at every opportunity. Others would view even the most well intended warfare as a great foolishness. One person might think it very wise and kind to welcome immigrants of all sorts into the country, while another might think of this as extremely foolish. One person might think it as right to give women the opportunity to have abortions if they so desire. Others would view this as supremely wicked. The examples of disagreement are endless.

How can we know who is right and who is wrong? Paul will eventually answer that question, but it is important to notice the point he makes in verse 22. It is possible for a person to think of themselves as very right and just, and to think of opposite opinions as very wrong and wicked, and for that person to be completely wrong. This doesn’t mean that truth is relative, or that everyone can be right in their own way. But rather it shows that it is very easy to be deceived about what is right and what is wrong, especially when our thoughts and our hearts remove God from His throne and replace it with something else.

Warning Signs of Corruption

Given the fact that people can be easily deceived in their thinking, how can we know if our thoughts and our hearts are in the right place? For starters, we must learn to look for the warning signs of corruption.

  • Not honoring God as God. That is, not directing our thoughts and affections towards God. If our awe and adoration of God do not keep up with our knowledge of God, we must stop and examine our hearts. When we look at the beautiful creation all around us, we should always respond by giving glory to God. If we do not, this is a warning sign of corruption.
  • Not giving thanks to God.

    Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. – James 1.17.

    Every blessing we receive comes from God. Yet if our heart is not willing to give God glory for something as obvious as the beauty of creation, it won’t be long before we don’t give God the thanks for any of the blessings He gives.

If God is not given honor and thanks, we have set ourselves up to be filled with foolish speculation. If the good things in life don’t come from God, where do they come from? Who deserves the credit?

Giving Credit to the Wrong “gods”

It is at this point that idolatry takes hold of our lives. It is easy for us to chuckle at the idea of someone making a little statue out of wood or stone and bowing down to it, and giving it credit for blessings they enjoy. But of course our culture is filled with people that do the same thing! 

Our society has worshiped many things,  one of the most obvious being the state. Where does a good economy come from? From God, or from a good government? Where does safety come from? From God, or from a strong military? Where does good health come from? From God, or from a wisely written healthcare program? And if blessings come from the state, who deserves to be honored? Our society continually preaches their answer: “The state!”

The so-called patriotic hymns are most often songs of praise to a personification of the country, and are not written to glorify God. Unfortunately, too many churches continue to sing of “My country tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing”, and “America, America, God shed his grace on thee”, where the “thee” is not God, but country. I have had to stand in silence too many times as churches sing of the “land that I love” instead of the church that we love. If these are songs of worship, they are songs of false worship. God is mentioned, but as supportive figure as we sing of the greatness of the nation, which is the real object of our praise.

Instead of “I will praise Him!” it is “Of thee I sing.” Instead of “We praise Thee, O God our Redeemer,” it is “We salute you, land of liberty.” Instead of “Blessed Jesus! Blessed Jesus!” it is “America! America!” Instead of “I am Thine O Lord,” it is “I pledge thee my allegiance, America, the bold.” Instead of “Jesus is coming again!” it is “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

We should label this what it is: idolatry. Nation-centered songs, rituals, and symbols implicitly deny that the church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ the Lord. They deny that God is the source of our blessings, and the one deserving of our honor. They give the credit to the wrong “gods”.

Twisted thinking, darkened hearts, and praise and honor given to non-gods: this is the disease of corruption. This is the cause of death.

How God Feels About Corruption

This takes us back to where Paul began this discussion.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. – Romans 1.18

Ungodliness refers to what happens when humans don’t worship, honor, and give thanks to God as God. Unrighteousness refers to what follows, when mankind is living out of harmony with the purposes for which they were created. These two words sum up what it means for mankind to become corrupt.

The result is the wrath of God. God created the world as good, and He cares passionately for it. God loves His creation, and every single person that fills it. When people, whom He created in His image, are oppressed, destroyed, and mistreated, God responds in wrath. God hates corruption. (If He were not, it would be difficult to call Him a “good God”). God is not a God who is in the habit of saying that a little bit of evil isn’t all that bad.

Our society teaches us to believe a different “truth.” They want us to think that a little bit of evil is okay. It is okay to follow your passions, no matter whether or not they in accordance with God’s will. It is okay choose to not worship God, if religion isn’t your thing. It is okay to disrespect others, especially if they are not worthy or respect. A little bit of killing and violence is acceptable, as long as the ends justify the means. A little bit of oppression is inevitable, as long as it is for the good of society. A little bit of war is good, just as long as it keeps evil from spreading.

Paul held a much more realistic assessment of the corruption of mankind. Do not be deceived. God is God, and we are not. What is wrong is always wrong. Sin is a serious disease, and it leads to corruption and death. It is a disease that must not go unchecked. It must be cured.

Patriotism? Or Idolatry?

On By Tyler BoydIn Christian's Relationship to Government2 Comments

You shall have no other gods before Me. – Exodus 20.3

Idol worship is sin. Therefore, if the state were to theoretically become an idol (i.e. treated as a god), this would be a sin.

Unfortunately, making an idol out of the state happens far too often. What makes state idolatry so dangerous is that it is almost never recognized for what it is: idolatry. State idolatry frequently sneaks into the church under the innocent cloak of patriotism, where it is then welcomed and encouraged with noble and even God-glorifying intentions. “Our country needs to be a force for good!” “Our country has been, and can continue to be a Christian nation; a city set on a hill, influencing the rest of world for good.” “Government is intended to be God’s minister for good. Good government can be a powerful tool to stop the spread of evil.”

This is not to say that all (or even most) patriotic Christians are idolaters. But we must recognize an important truth: If patriotic affections become strong enough to exalt the state into the presence of God, patriotism can become idolatry. Patriotism, if not kept within proper boundaries, can become sin. And since patriotism is frequently encouraged and often embraced by the modern church, these calls for patriotism must be tempered with biblical warnings against idolatry (Acts 15.20; 1 Cor. 10.14; 1 John 5.21).

What is Idolatry?

Idolatry is more than just bowing down to statues. Idolatry is a sin of the heart.

Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. – Ezekiel 14.3

Yes, this idolatry is often identified by the images the hearts of men have chosen to revere as gods. But the sin is not in the statue itself. The sin of idolatry is to be found in the heart that chooses to revere the statue as a god.

Yet statues are not the only things that can be revered as gods. Paul often spoke of “greed” as a form of idolatry.

Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. – Colossians 3.5

Once it is recognized that idolatry is more than just worshiping little statues, it is easy to recognize that anything that the heart exalts as a god is idolatry. If the state is exalted by the heart as a god, the state has become an idol.

Idolatry is often incorrectly defined as “putting anything ahead of God.” Look again at God’s definition of idolatry:

You shall have no other gods before me. – Exodus 20.3

The meaning of the phrase “before me” is not limited to anything put ahead of God. The word used for “before” also includes anything that is put into God’s presence. The phrase could also rightly be translated “You shall have no other gods besides me”, or “You shall have no other gods except me.”

Thankfully, I have never met a Christian who claims to place their love of country ahead of their love of God. Although this must be continually guarded against, placing the state ahead of God is not, in my opinion, a major cause of state idolatry. What happens far more often is that the state is glorified, respected, revered, served, trusted in, and sworn allegiance to in a manner which is due only to the LORD God. In other words, the state is treated as a god. Yet due to the fact that the state is not put “ahead of God,” it is rarely recognized for what it is: idolatry.

Is All Patriotism Idolatry?

No. Scripture is silent when it comes to patriotism. Although patriotism is certainly not required of Christians, it could be argued that having affection for one’s home country is somewhat natural. Jesus wept for Jerusalem (Matt. 23.37). Paul had a special desire in His heart for the Jews, the people with whom he shared a heritage (Rom. 10.1).

Consider an analogy. I am a huge Tennessee Volunteers fan. I like the color orange. I don’t like missing games. I like it when they have good seasons. I rock my son to sleep at night humming “Rocky Top.” Is having affection for my team idolatry? Hardly!

But given my affection for the Big Orange, I must continually remain on guard that they do not become an idol. What if, for example, I allowed myself to get angry, to be less of a loving father or husband on days when they lose? What if I allowed by fandom to damage my relationships with Christians who prefer the color Crimson? What if my affection for my favorite football team made it more difficult for me to be a faithful Christian?

Have I put my team ahead of God? Hardly. But have I exalted them to a position beside God? Have I allowed them to start shaping my character? Have I allowed my reverence for them to come into the presence of God? Yes. As soon as my affection for my football team lessens my desire to give honor, respect and faithful submission to God, they have started to become an idol. Even if I refused to call them an “idol” they would have become one.

Now what about patriotism? Is it wrong to have a special affection for the country of your origin? Not in itself. Yet as soon as our patriotism causes us to lessen our ability to serve in God’s Kingdom, we need to stop and ask if we have allowed our patriotism to gain too big of a foothold in our lives. We must ask whether we might be on the verge of making the state an idol.

Questions for patriots to consider:

  • If I were to take all of the time, energy, and emotion that I invest into making my country better, and I were to redirect all that time, energy and emotion towards making God’s kingdom stronger, what would that look like?
  • When symbols of national pride (such as the flag, or the national anthem) are disrespected, do I allow my emotions to get the best of me? Do I respond with grace and kindness?
  • During election seasons, when others see my words, my actions, and my social media posts, can they see that my hope is firmly held in Christ? Or would they assume that I am just like everyone else in the world, viewing political outcomes as one of the most important things for our future?
  • Do I pray for missionaries as often as I pray for my country’s soldiers? Do I pray for my enemies as often as I pray for my country’s soldiers?
  • Am I a peacemaker? Do I love my enemies? If so, when others look at my words, actions and social media posts, can they tell that I am a peacemaker who loves my enemies? Can they tell that I love my enemies, even at times when my preferred political party demonizes someone? Can they tell that I am a peacemaker even when my preferred political party supports acts of war?
  • When I consider the possibility of patriotism becoming idolatry, where does my mind go next? Do I welcome the warning against idolatry, or do I feel a need to defend the idea of patriotism? Do I welcome, without hesitation, the suggestion that it would be okay for Christians to reject expressions of patriotism if by so doing they are able to live more faithfully? What does the answer to this question say about my heart’s deepest concerns? Am I more concerned with faithful loyalty to God, or am I more concerned with maintaining faithful allegiance to my country?

Once again, we must not simply ask, “Am I keeping God first, and love of country second?” We must ask whether or not our love of country has in any way lessened our commitment, service, or allegiance to the Kingdom of God. Although there may not be anything wrong with patriotism in itself, if patriotism comes anywhere close to becoming an idol, we must flee from it. It would be better to be an unpatriotic faithful Christian than to be a patriotic unfaithful Christian.

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. – 1 John 2.15

Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. – 1 Corinthians 10.14

Tough Questions Concerning Romans 13

On By The Christian ExileIn Christian's Relationship to Government, Love for Enemies
Romans 13:1-7 is a passage that invites several tough questions. It is my intent to explore some of these questions and perhaps offer a few answers regarding this difficult text. Hopefully, these questions will draw us closer to the truth, but sometimes we have to set with the questions before we can see the truth clearly. Of course, this will only happen if we approach this section of Scripture with open hearts and open minds.

Who is Paul’s intended audience?

We must begin by acknowledging that we see Romans 13 through a particular lens. The vast majority of people who live in America love this country. We have no problem with Romans 13 because we are a patriotic people. We have pride in our nation, and we want to trust our government. We must keep in mind that Romans 13 was not written solely for Christians living in 21st America. It was originally written to Christians living in the Roman empire. This was a government that at times persecuted Christians and enforced emperor worship. This text was also written for Christians living in communist China. It was written for Christians who are living in the middle east under sharia law. Whatever this passage says about America, it also says about these other countries. We cannot apply it one way when we are talking about a good and decent government, and another way when we are discussing a government bent on evil.

What is commanded of Christians in Romans 13?

This passage centers on one commandment. It is the first sentence in verse one. Paul writes, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.” Everything that follows is an expansion or explanation of this one statement. To submit to someone or something means we yield to them. It means we give up some right, privilege, desire, etc. we have in order to serve a bigger cause. Submission implies doing something we would not ordinarily do. If we were going to do it anyway, then we aren’t truly submitting. The command to submit to the governing authorities is broad. It could mean many different things. When Peter gives similar instructions in 1 Peter 2:13-17, he specifically mentions the emperor and governors. It could be that Christians in the first century were leery about submitting themselves to someone like Pilate or Nero. Zealots argued for open rebellion, but both Peter and Paul give instructions for another way. Paul specifically mentions paying taxes (13:6-7). Some Christians may have wondered why they should give their hard-earned money to a government that does not respect them and at times persecutes them. The answer is that Christians are called to be peacemakers (Rom. 12:14-21). We are to be good citizens even when we may not like it. We are not to fight power with power. The Zealots fought power with power and lost. Christians sought peace and Christianity flourished.

Does Romans 13 offer justification for a Christian to serve in war or participate in the death penalty?

Romans 13 associates violence with government. Violence is part of the fallen world in which we live. Governments are responsible for wars, capital punishment, etc. Governments maintain some sense of order through violence and order is preferred over chaos. Anarchy would invite even more violence. Although violence exists and at times may serve some sort of purpose, is Paul giving his blessing for Christians to participate in this violence? In this passage, Paul speaks about the government and the role of the Christian under the government. He does not address the role of the Christian within the government. If someone wants to use this passage as justification for Christians serving in war or participating in the death penalty, then there are some serious questions one must consider first.

Would it have been alright for a Christian to participate in the executions of Jesus, Paul, Peter, or any other Christian that was put to death by the Roman government?

Does Romans 13 authorize a Christian to participate in an unjust war? If not, then why not?

Romans 13 was written for Christians living under all governments. This means it was written for German Christians and British Christians in WWII. Does this mean a German Christian would be equally justified for following Romans 13 as a British Christian?

Paul is specifically speaking about the Roman government in Romans 13. He wanted Christians to respect the government and not rebel against it. He wanted them to pay their taxes, but this was also a government involved in evil, and they would later be punished for it by God. The book of Revelation is about God’s judgment on Rome. It is evident that although Christians are to live peaceably under the Roman government, God does not approve of all the actions of the Roman government.

Does Romans 13 mean I should do anything the government commands?

No! How do we know this? The man who wrote Romans 13 was put to death by the Roman government. We can assume that Paul paid his taxes, obeyed the laws to the best of his ability, etc., but there were some compromises Paul refused to make. Romans 13 describes a system in which God is the ultimate authority. God will tear down and build up governments. God is the authority we must obey above all else.

What does loving my enemy have to do with Romans 13?

Context is important. The one thing that has caused the most problems in interpreting Romans 13 is its separation from Romans 12. Often people will try to say something about Romans 13 without ever considering Romans 12. In Romans 13, Paul commands us to submit to the government and pay our taxes, but in Romans 12, he gives us many more commands. We are to bless anyone who persecutes us (12:14). We are to repay no one evil for evil (12:17). We are to live peaceably with all (12:18). We are never to avenge ourselves but leave vengeance to God (12:19). We are to feed our enemies and give them something to drink (12:20). Whatever Romans 13 means, it cannot contradict the commands Paul has just given. I do not think this is an issue as long as we understand Romans 13 as instructions on how a Christian should live under the government, not within the government.

We should notice that Romans 13 is situated between commands for us to love others (12:9-10; 13:8). At the end of Paul’s instructions regarding Christians and government, he makes the following statement.

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. – Romans 13.1-8

The one thing Christians should be known for is love. If our interpretation of Romans 13 takes us away from this end, then we have not interpreted it correctly, and we should take another look. Governments will come and go, but the kingdom of God will stand forever. The ethics of governments vary drastically, but the ethic of the kingdom of God is love. Let us make sure we are devoting ourselves to the right ethic.

Originally published by Start2Finish and republished with their permission.
Scott Elliott is a graduate of Oklahoma State University and Austin Graduate School of Theology. He lives in La Grange, TX and is the minister for the La Grange Church of Christ. He is married and has two sons. He enjoys writing about the Christian faith and posting the occasional film review. His articles and reviews have appeared in RELEVANT magazine, Englewood Review of Books, and other publications.
Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version).

Jesus: Enemy of the State

On By Tyler BoydIn Christian's Relationship to Government3 Comments

Many Christians have a philosophy of what a “good government” should look like, and for most their philosophy is closely connected to their religious beliefs. Some have taken this so far that they have no problems with singing “God Bless America” in worship, having the American flag flying in front of their church building, or having quotes from the founding fathers posted in their classrooms. After all, “God ordained government,” right? So what could possibly be wrong with such demonstrations of patriotism in our places of worship?

Yet very few can explain the answers to questions such as:

God Ordained Government

In the garden of Eden, God was the only ruler. Yet beginning with Adam, man continued to rebel until the earth was divided into a multiplicity of kingdoms after the fall of the Tower of Babel. Throughout the Old Testament, God expected Israel to remain separate from these Gentile kingdoms refraining from making alliances with them. When Israel adopted the form of government that was used by these earthly kingdoms, God viewed this as a rejection of His kingship over them. As a result of this rejection of God, Israel ended up enslaved by these governments. During this time of exile, the prophets foretold a time when God would return as King, and earthly governments would be destroyed.

Throughout this time, God did continually ordain these earthly governments as His ministers, through which He punished evildoers and taught important lessons to His children. Yet throughout the Old Testament, God’s faithful children maintained a submissive relationship with the earthly governments which surrounded them, continually trusting that God would vindicate His people by ultimately defeating these wicked nations.

So here’s a question: Did Jesus change all that? Did Jesus reintroduce earthly Gentile governments in a kinder and gentler light? Did He in fact endorse these governments in their claim to rule over people in social, economic, and all other areas of their life? Did Jesus start a new mindset towards governments, beginning a new trajectory, because of which Christians can now work through earthly governments to provide protection for the weak and vulnerable? Or to protect private property and keep people safe from our enemies? Or protect fair wages for workers? Or to otherwise encourage morality in our society?

Certainly, if anyone had authority to change the relationship of God’s people towards the Gentile rulers of the world, Jesus, the “Lord of lords” is the one who would have had that authority. Yet in everything Jesus said and did, Jesus was an enemy of the state. No, Jesus was not a lawbreaker. No, Jesus was not the William Wallace of His day, leading some sort of great Jewish revolution against the Romans. No, Jesus was not the leader of a great tax rebellion.

He was submissive to the governing authorities. He was a peacemaker. He taught the importance of loving His enemies, even those who had aligned themselves with the state (such as Matthew the tax-collector). But He was an enemy of the state nonetheless. Herod viewed Him as an enemy when He was born, and the Romans executed Him as an enemy on the cross. As the King, Jesus will destroy all of His enemies, including the rule, the authority, and the power of the state (1 Cor. 15.24-26).

Consider what we know about Jesus’ relationship towards the governing authorities under which He lived.

Jesus: Enemy of the State

  • At the time of His birth, Herod viewed Jesus as a threat, and attempted to have Him executed as a child.
  • Jesus and His family were forced to live as exiles in Egypt.
  • When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, Satan tempted Him with all the political power in the world. Jesus had every opportunity to reform His world with a “good government,” yet He rejected this offer, choosing rather to obey the Scriptures where it is written “You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.”
  • During His ministry, the ruling elite often sought to have Jesus executed, refraining only because they “feared the people.”
  • John the Baptist came to prepare the way for Jesus. This task included commanding soldiers not to forcefully take money from anyone (Luke 3.14).
  • John the Baptist’s task also included rebuking King Herod publicly by applying the laws of God to the head of the state. “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife” (Mark 6.18).
  • Jesus often spoke out against the supporters of King Herod. “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod” (Mark 8.15).
  • Jesus characterized King Herod as “that fox” (Luke 13.32).
  • Jesus forbade His disciples from living like Gentile government officials. “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant” (Matt. 20:25-26).
  • Jesus denied that the tax collectors had the right to collect taxes from “the sons” (i.e. sons of God). His condemnation of taxation was clear enough that Jesus had to clarify that He was not calling for tax rebellion as the appropriate response. “Then the sons are exempt. However, so that we do not offend them… give it to them” (Matt. 17:25-27).
  • On another occasion, Jesus challenged his hearers to examine their personal allegiance (Luke 20:22-26). Both Caesar and God claimed to be divine and rightful rulers of the world (hence the examination of the inscription on the coin). When Jesus said “Render unto Caesar that things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s,” He revealed that Caesar’s claims to the world and God’s claims to the world are mutually exclusive. He left his questioners amazed as they were left to consider what really belonged to Caesar and what really belonged to God.
  • This helps to explain why Jesus was accused of instigating tax rebellion during his trial, an accusation that would have been laughed out of court unless Jesus was publicly recognized as having been opposed to taxation. “And they began to accuse Him, saying, ‘We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King’” (Luke 23.2).

Jesus was an enemy of the state. Any attempt to repaint Jesus as a nice, government supporting, patriotic citizen does not do justice to the texts. Throughout the gospels, Jesus is continually shown to have been at odds with government officials. When texts (such as “render unto Caesar”) are taken out of context, and twisted so as to make it sound like Jesus placed his stamp of approval on government-initiated theft and violence, the gospels lose their coherence. Why would Jesus continually exalt God’s laws above state authority in one breath, and then suggest that state officials have a special exemption from laws such as “thou shall not steal” in the next? Why would Jesus criticize the way that Gentile rulers lord over other people in one breath, and then approve of their right to lord over men in the next? Why would Jesus instruct soldiers to refrain from forcefully taking money and deny the right of the tax collectors to collect taxes, if He believed that Caesar was right in his claim to that money? Why would Jesus be executed by His government if His government saw Him as a good supportive citizen?

The Kingdom of Heaven

All that Jesus did in confronting earthly rulers is because His allegiance was given to a different kingdom – the Kingdom of God.

.Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. – Matthew 9.35

The gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. – Matthew 24.14

It is important to note that while Jesus had an antagonistic relationship with the governing authorities of His day, He never advocated violent opposition to them. Jesus never advocated tax rebellion. Jesus understood that their positions of power came from God (“You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above” [John 19.11]). Jesus continually turned the other cheek when He was confronted by His enemies. He continually submitted to their authority, even to the point of death.

He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously. – 1 Peter 2.23

Jesus understood that His victory over the Roman rulers would not come by political strength, but rather by submission to God. In this, He left us an example to follow (1 Pet. 2.21).

Long ago, the prophet Daniel had prophesied that the Kingdom that Jesus established would be in opposition to, and ultimately destroy the kingdoms of this world.

In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. – Daniel 2.44

The only source of power possessed by earthly governments is threat of the power of death. With the resurrection of Jesus, the power of death is destroyed, and the fate of all the kingdoms of this world is sealed.

Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and all power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. – 1 Corinthians 15.24-26

In the meantime, let us never forget the destiny of the governments under which we now live. We have no obligation to pledge our allegiance to any of these condemned kingdoms. We have no responsibility to give reverence to their flags. We must be careful not to maintain the pagan myths of state power, knowing that because of King Jesus, their power has been destroyed.

Our responsibility is go and make disciples, proclaiming to them that “All authority” has been given to King Jesus “in heaven and on earth.” May we continually give thanks to the Father that He has “rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col. 1.13). May we continually dedicate our loyalty, our allegiance, and our lives to Jesus, the enemy of the state.

Resurrection: The Redemption of Our Bodies

On By Tyler BoydIn Uncategorized5 Comments

(You can go back and read a preliminary article, “After Life: Where Do Christians Go When they Die?” here.)

The Christian hope is for a bodily resurrection from the dead.

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. – Philippians 3.20-21

Observe:

  • We are waiting for Jesus to come from heaven
  • When He does, He will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body
  • He will do this by the authority that He possesses to subject all things to Himself.

This, right here, contains in a nutshell what the whole New Testament teaches about the subject of resurrection. The risen Jesus is both the model for the Christian’s future body and the means by which we will receive that body.

Similarly notice Colossians 3.3-4:

You have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Observe:

  • Going to be with Jesus in some sort of invisible, hidden existence, is not the final hope.
  • In fact, we are already “with Christ in God” right now, in a hidden secret way.
  • What will change is that our secret and hidden existence with Christ will be revealed. It will become unhidden. It will become visible.

Perhaps the clearest passage on the bodily resurrection can be found in Romans 8.9-11:

However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Observe:

  • If the Spirit of God dwells in you…
  • Then the same Spirit that rose Jesus’ body from the grave…
  • Will give life to your mortal bodies.

Paul was not the only New Testament author who wrote of the resurrection.

See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not appeared as what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. – 1 John 3.1-2

Once again, the resurrected body of Jesus, with all its glory and purity, will be the model for our own transformed bodies.

John records Jesus making some of the clearest statements about the resurrection:

Truly, truly, I say unto you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; and He gave Him authority to execute judgement, because He is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. – John 5.25-29

All who are in the graves will come forth! Just as Jesus’ body was not left in the grave, so also, when we receive our new bodies, will our graves be emptied. His body somehow used up the substance that was left in the grave. Our current body will not disappear, nor will those old bodies be left in the grave but rather will be transformed to be as He is.

No study of the resurrection would be complete without considering Paul’s letters to the Corinthians.

In 2 Corinthians 4.7-10, Paul compares our current bodies to jars of clay. Currently, in these bodies, we are afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, struck down, always “carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus.”

In verse 16-18, Paul reminds us that the reason we do not lose heart is because of the coming eternal glory. Paul then continues his discussion by comparing our bodies to temporary, earthly “tents”, and contrasting that with our future, permanently built “house” of a body.

For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. – 2 Corinthians 5.1-5

We are going to put off our earthly tent (or tabernacle). There is a new house, a new dwelling place, a new body that is waiting for us in heaven with God. We earnestly wait to be clothed with this new body from heaven. Our current, mortal bodies will be swallowed up in life.

Observe: When we receive our new bodies, we will not be clothed less than we are now. We will be clothed more than we are now. If Paul is right (and he is), right now we are only a shadow of our future selves. Our future bodies will be even more real, even more complete, and far more permanent than our current bodies.

Two Different Types of Bodies

And finally we come to 1 Corinthians 15, the most complete discussion on the resurrection found in Scripture.

Apparently there were some in Corinth who were denying that our bodies would actually be resurrected from the dead. Paul discusses just how central this is to Christianity.

For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. – 1 Corinthians 15.16-20

Not only is the resurrection a reality, but the harvest of the resurrection has already begun. Christ is described as the “first fruit”. He is the model of what is to follow with the rest of us. Our graves will be empty like His. Our bodies will be raised like His. We will have bodies like his.

Paul continues to address objections to this idea by demonstrating that our future body will be different from our current body. To speak of a bodily resurrection does not imply that our future bodies will be exactly like our current bodies.

It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So also it is written, ‘The first man’, Adam, ‘Became a living soul.’ The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. – 1 Corinthians 15.42-45.

Our current bodies are dishonorable and weak. They are described as “natural”. The Greek word here is “psyckikos”, sometimes translated “physical”. That is, a body that is animated or governed by the “psyche”, the Greek word for “breath” or “soul.” (Notice the comparison to Adam, who was a “living soul”).

Our future bodies are described as glorious, powerful, or “spiritual.” The Greek word for “spiritual” is “pneumatikos”. That is, a body that is animated or governed by the “pneuma”, the Greek word for the “Spirit”. (Notice the comparison to Jesus, the second Adam, who became a “life-giving spirit”).

Unfortunately, in the English language “physical” and “spiritual” are often used to denote “tangible” from things “non-tangible”. Therefore some have used this verse to suggest that our future existence will be less than bodily.

Notice carefully that Paul did not compare a physical body with a spiritual non-bodily existence. Paul compared two types of bodies. One type of body will be animated by man’s soul, and the other type will be animated by God’s spirit. If we are to be animated and governed by the Spirit, this necessitates that we have some sort of body that will be animated.

Will it be different from our current bodies? Absolutely. When Jesus was given a resurrected body, he could do some pretty weird things, like showing up in a room with his disciples without opening a door to come in (John 20.19-20). Yet He most certainly existed in a Spirit-governed, tangible, bodily existence; a body which could be touched and which could eat fish (John 21.12-14).

Why This is So Important

As Paul concludes his discussion of the resurrection, he does not say, “So therefore, it doesn’t really matter what you do here and now with your body, because one day we are all just going to die and go to heaven, somewhere above the bright blue, in some sort of non-bodily existence, floating on clouds and playing harps forever.”

He says:

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. – 1 Corinthians 15.58

Belief in the bodily resurrection includes the belief that what we do right now with our bodies is important. The work we do for the Lord will not simply be left behind us in the grave. But rather because our bodies will rise again and be incorruptible, what we do right now in our bodies matters. Because of the resurrection, we have work to do, work that is not in vain. The Christian hope is not looking forward to the day when we fly away from our bodies to somewhere above the clouds, but rather our victory is found in the bodily resurrection from the dead.

O death, where is your victory;

O death, where is your sting?